Although one would suggest that companies would learn from HTC’s attempt at trying to flog mediocre audio equipment at premium prices, it appears that these lessons aren’t really quick to sink in.

Struggling Finnish handset maker Nokia has announced a new addition to its audio accessories – the Purity Pro Wireless Stereo Headset. The headsets are Monster-branded, so prepare for another round of pay-big-get-little treatment.

The headsets use Bluetooth to run and can be linked via NFC or the aforementioned Bluetooth connection. The Purity Pro Wireless also has Monster’s active noise cancellation technology.

Unfortunately for Nokia, the press is so “excited” about the product that the color scheme drew more attention than the actual phones. Namely, the headset colors match the rumored color schemes for the yet to be announced, next-gen Lumia phones - red, yellow, black and white.

The Purity Pro headsets are expected on the market as of Q4 2012 and will cost €299, which is really re-damn-diculous. Seriously, that sort of dough can buy you some serious, pro-quality headphones, and whatever brand you pick at this price point, it will still blow the Purity Pro away like it wasn't even on – yes I am willing to bet on it.

Besides, we kind of understand Samsung for copying companies that are widely regarded as better, but Nokia seems to be keen to go down. Well, here’s to a good start.

Following the success of its Vengeance gaming keyboard, mice and headest lineup, Corsair has decided to add some more products to this lineup, inluding the new Vengeance C70 mid-tower gaming case and Vengeance 2000 Wireless 7.1 gaming headset.

The new Vengeance C70 mid-tower gaming case is quite unique and features sturdy, military-look design. According to Corsair, this one is designed for gamers on the move and with durable steel construction and high-airflow design it will surely be a star on LAN party or two. As noted, the case is made out of steel and features ergonomic carry handles that should additionaly improve "portability". It supports ATX and micro-ATX motherboards and has room for a total of ten fans (three 120mm included) as well as room for a 240mm top mounted water-cooling radiator. The new C70 features tool-free thumbscrew desing, tinted side window with room for two side fans, has three 5.25-inch and six 3.5-inch bays and front panel I/O with USB 3.0 ports.

The second new addition to the Vengeance lineup is the Vengeance 2000 wireless 7.1 gaming headset. Corsair's Vengeance series headsets has recieved quite a praise from various review sites and it is no wonder that Corsair wants to add wireless to the lineup. The new Vengeance 2000 is similar to the Vengeance 1500 except for the obvious wireless part. It has a wireless range of up to 12 meters (40 feet) thanks to the 2.4GHz wireless conectivity that should offer clean 5.1/7.1 audio via custom-engineered 50mm drivers. The integrated battery should be good enough for up to 10 hours and Vengeance 2000 can also be used while charging. In order to provide maximum comfort, the Vengeance 2000 uses circumaural, micro-fiber memory foam earpads and padded headband. Since we are talking about headset here, it also includes high-sensitivity, noise-cancelling microphone.

The new Vengeance C70 gaming case will be available in military green, arctic white and gunmetal black color choices and is priced at US $139.99. The Vengeance 2000 Wireless 7.1 gaming headset has a US $149.99 price tag.

Cooler Master recently updated its CM Storm series with one of the key pieces of gamers’ arsenals - a quality gaming headset. The CM Storm Sirus headset boasts 5.1 surround sound, with four discrete speakers on each side.

CoolerMaster ships the Sirus with so called “Tactical Mixing Console’, which is a separate piece of hardware used for independent channel volume settings.

Design and Ergonomics

CM Storm obviously wasn’t keen on experimenting with its first headset, so Sirus has tried and true classic design.

The headset is made of hard plastics while the microphone can be easily moved thanks to its rubber-like build. Furthermore, the mic can be rotated and placed in a way where it won’t get damaged during transport. Note that Sirus cannot be folded like some modern headsets.

Thanks to quality ergonomics, we could wear Sirus for a while without feeling pain or pressure. That the Sirus weighs around 400 grams is not something you’ll notice a lot as you’ll be immersed in gaming/music in no time. The part that leans on the tip of the head comes with a thick piece of foam that neutralizes pressure. You may think that 400 grams is too much, but note that some high-end headsets weigh as high as 500 grams.

Sirus can be easily adjusted for various head sizes and the earpads can be slightly rotated as well in order to make a better fit. Those who have glasses should not be overly concerned as the mechanism is lax enough not to apply pressure on your head.

CoolerMaster included two types of earpads – the standard ones and artificial leather ones, which tend to provide slightly better isolation. Users with glasses may notice that the leather earpads are slightly rougher, but not nearly enough to cause discomfort.

There are LED lamps in the headset, confirming that this is a CM Storm product.

Connecting, Testing

The headset cable is 120cm long and has a male cinch at the end, which can be connected to your computer in two ways. One of them is to connect the Sirus to its Tactical Mixing Console, where the Console is connected to the computer via USB. The other method is to use the adapter that ends with 3.5mm jacks and connect it directly to your soundcard’s 5.1 outs.

The cable connecting the console to the computer is more than 2m long, whereas the 3.5mm jack cable is 90cm.

The USB that is found next to the 3.5mm jacks is there to provide power for LED lamps and is not necessary for normal functioning.

Additionally, CM Storm offers software that lets you control mic and speaker loudness and create profiles for music, gaming, etc.

Mic options list Magic Voice, which is an option for voice muting.

The Tactical Mixing Console is pretty handy and looks nice as well. You can use the console to set loudness of individual speakers, turn the mic on and off or shut down the headset and switch sound to speakers, if there are any on your rig.

The console is small and will fit in your hand, but since it weighs about 280 grams, you probably won’t be moving it from where you put it. The console has rubber anti-slipping pads. The console’s wheel is quite efficient, as it allows for volume control with a single finger.

The following photos show the way CM Storm strategically placed the four speakers inside in order to achieve realistic 3D audio image.

The front, rear and central channel speakers have 30mm radius, whereas the bass speaker has 40mm.

Specs:

Channel: True 5.1 surround sound

Driver: F/R/C: 30mm Sub: 40mm

Impedance: F/R/C: 32 Ohms Sub: 16 Ohms

Transducer principle: Dynamic closed

Ear coupling: Circumaural

Ear cushions: Detachable micro fiber

Sensitivity: >105dB

Frequency Response: 10Hz – 20,000Hz

Distortion: Less than 1%

Mic Specs:

Pick-up pattern: uni-directional

Frequency Response: 100Hz – 10,000 Hz

Impedance: 2.2k Ohms

Sensitivity: -46 dB ±3dB

The uni-directional mic with background noise cancellation is quite good at what it does. Other players will hear you clearly but not that loud. Background noise is not likely to end up on the channel, at least not excessively. That the mic lacks loudness was clear after meddling with Microsoft’s driver as well. Namely, we had to bring the mic quite close to our mouth in order to receive confirmation that the mic is recognized. Skype ran instantly and quite well.

Conclusion

The Sirus is currently the only headset in the CM Storm line of products. Sirus provides 5.1 surround sound and can be connected to a computer via analog connections (3.5mm jacks) or via the included Tactical Mixing Console, which in turn connects via USB. Surround sound enables quite good pinpointing of the enemy’s position.

The Tactical Mixing Console is quite useful, both for gamers and all other users, because it allows for easy control without having to interrupt your activities. Furthermore, the Console works without having to install drivers. Capabilities are many, as users may easily silence sounds of battle ahead and increase volume of sounds from the back in order to pinpoint the danger.

CoolerMaster aimed the Sirus at high-end gamers, but it will do more than fine for those who wish for quality sound. The Sirus goes for €115 here.

Crytek continues to address a number of issues that have caused problems for players of the PC version of Crysis 2. While we continue to hear of issues with PC users that are having problems activating Crysis 2 on the PC, the latest update does not seem to fix this issue; however, the work around of re-entering your multiplayer key from within the game does seem to work for many.

The latest patch addresses the USB headset issues with some brands. The most drastic of the updates addresses the auto-aim complaints by removing the feature completely. Crytek claims that the decision was made to remove auto-aim by the overwhelming feedback from players. New cheat detection has been put in place to level the playing field, according to Crytek.

Many issues with the servers and server browsers have been addressed and fixed. This includes the server browser displaying incorrect ping information, joining matches that never start, speed improvements to text-based chat support, and the console has been re-enabled.

While the release of the PC version of Crysis 2 has been a bit bumpy, the game continues to get stronger as the patches have been released to address various issues. With the latest patch we think the title is now currently very playable.

Razer has finally shed all the details regarding its upcoming Starcraft II-themed peripherals which include the Spectre gaming mouse, Marauder keyboard and the Banshee headset. All three will feature a rather distinctive multi-colour glow and some pretty impressive specs and features.

The Specter continues Razer's legacy of wired mice and features 5600 DPI Razer Precision 3.5G laser sensor, five buttons, 1ms response time and a noted, rather impressive glow that is a part of Razer's APM (Actions-per-minute) lightning system. APM Lightning system will also be able to provide game alerts in real time with a range of different customizable colours. Razer also included the Button Force Adjustment for the left-click button as well as the regular Zero-acoustic Ultraslick Teflon feet and gold-plated USB connector.

The Marauder keyboard looks like something that really came out of StarCraft II world and in addition to the same APM Lightning system it comes with elevated keys for additional precision, on-the-fly macro recording, laser etched keys, and an ergonomically optimized wrist-rest.

The last but no least, is the Banshee gaming headset that features circumaural earcups with 50mm driver units for optimal sound output and isolation, the same APM Lightning system seen on both the Spectre and the Marauder, detachable microphone, volume and mic control buttons on the headset and full equalizer functionality with 8 preset settings or a custom one.

All three are currently listed at Razer's web site with a price of US $79.99 for the Spectre mouse, and US $119.99 for the Marauder keyboard or the Banshee headset. Unfortunately, the exact date hasn't been announced but they should be available sometimes during Q3.